The invention relates to a sharpener, in particular for soft-core pencils, including a sharpener housing carrying a sharpener blade positioned tangentially at a sharpener channel, the housing having a free space laterally beneath a front end of a cutting edge of the sharpener blade, the free space being open on a lower side and/or on an upper side of the housing, the sharpener channel opening out into the free space, and a core shaper to be introduced into the free space for shaping a core tip.
A sharpener which is known, for example, from European Patent Application 0 827 844 A1 has a guide channel in a sharpener housing. The sharpener housing is usually injection molded in one piece from plastic. The guide channel tapers conically in the direction of introduction and is intended for a front end of a pencil which is to be sharpened. Moreover, the sharpener housing has a free space into which a guide channel, that receives the pencil or core tip, opens out. A sharpener blade which is retained on the sharpener housing is, in turn, positioned tangentially in relation to the guide channel.
In the case of that known sharpener, a shaping blade which projects into the free space and has a cutting edge or shaving edge with a web-like structure for the purpose of shaping the core tip, is integrally formed on the sharpener housing. However, it is known from European Patent Application 0 872 356 A1 to provide such a shaping blade on a cleaning stick which is retained in a captive, but removable, manner on the sharpener housing. German Published, Non-Prosecuted Patent Application DE 44 40 271 A1 discloses an embodiment of a sharpener for soft-core pencils having an adjustable shaping blade which can be displaced on a fastening element transversely to the sharpener blade, and thus transversely to the longitudinal axis of the sharpener channel.
Through the use of such sharpeners having core shapers in the form of a shaping blade which can be introduced into the active region of the sharpener in addition to the sharpener blade, the pencil or core tip of a pencil introduced into the sharpener channel may be shaped either in a relatively sharp and pointed manner or in a rounded manner. During sharpening, i.e. during rotation of the pencil guided in the guide or sharpener channel, the sharpener blade assumes the task of shaping the conical pencil tip and thus if appropriate, at the same time, of shaving the pencil material enclosing the same. Through the use of such sharpeners, usually so-called soft or soft-core pencils, in particular cosmetics pencils, are sharpened and additionally shaped at their core tip. That allows both soft cores which are encased in a shavable material, e.g. wood or plastic, and soft cores alone, as are common predominantly as make-up or cosmetics pencils, to be sharpened.
The sharpener known from German Published, Non-Prosecuted Patent Application DE 44 40 271 A1 involves a high outlay to produce and, in addition, the regularly necessary task of cleaning the sharpener in the vicinity of the core shaper from accumulating core substance which tends to smear is made particularly difficult. However, it is the case with the sharpener known from European Patent Application 0 872 356 A1 that the handling of the cleaning stick with the shaving tongue, projecting laterally therefrom, as a core shaper, is frequently considered laborious.
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a sharpener, in particular for soft-core pencils, which overcomes the hereinafore-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known devices of this general type and in which, along with straightforward cleaning and removal of a sticky soft-core substance, straightforward introduction of a core shaper into a free space of the sharpener, with simultaneous avoidance of damage to the core shaper, is made possible.
With the foregoing and other objects in view there is, provided, in accordance with the invention, a sharpener, in particular for a soft-core pencil, comprising a sharpener blade having a cutting edge with a front end; a sharpener housing having a lower side, an upper side, a free space and a sharpener channel opening into the free space, the free space being open at least at one of the sides, the free space disposed laterally beneath the front end of the cutting edge of the sharpener blade, and the sharpener housing carrying the sharpener blade tangentially to the sharpener channel; a core shaper to be introduced into the free space for shaping a core tip; and a carrier plate to be secured on the sharpener housing, the carrier plate carrying the core shaper for introducing the core shaper into the free space from one of the sides.
In accordance with another feature of the invention, the carrier plate has a container-like structure or shape. For this purpose, it has an at least partially continuous container wall.
On one hand, introducing the core shaper into the free space of the sharpener housing or body through the use of the carrier plate from the upper side or lower side of the housing ensures straightforward handling of the sharpener in its function as a core shaper, in particular for soft-core pencils. On the other hand, likewise straightforward handling makes it possible for the core shaper, when raised off from the sharpener housing, to be cleaned outside the sharpener housing since it is precisely in the region of the core shaper that the pasty and sticky core substance which has been cut or shaved off from the core tip accumulates.
The carrier plate, which retains the core shaper, may be pushed into, or positioned on, the lower side or upper side of the sharpener housing and connected releasably to the sharpener housing, for example, through the use of latching hooks or similar form-locking elements. A form-locking connection is one which connects two elements together due to the shape of the elements themselves, as opposed to a force-locking connection, which locks the elements together by force external to the elements. With the carrier plate constructed as a displaceable base plate, the rear side of the sharpener housing, which is the side directed away from the introduction opening that opens out into the sharpener channel, is expediently recessed in the region of the free space in such a way that the core shaper, which projects up from the carrier plate, can be introduced into the free space through the recess.
In accordance with a further feature of the invention, the carrier plate is retained in a pivotable manner on the sharpener housing, for which purpose the latter is connected to the carrier plate preferably through a film hinge. In this case, the film hinge is expediently integrally formed on the rear wall of the sharpener body or housing, preferably in the region of the bottom edge of the housing, and the rear wall bounds the rear side of the free space. In this case, the carrier plate advantageously has a peripheral side wall, and the film hinge is accordingly integrally formed on the side wall corresponding to the rear wall of the sharpener housing. The carrier plate with the side walls thus forms a half-shell. In this case, the clear width between mutually opposite side walls of the carrier plate is adapted to the outer dimensions of the sharpener housing in such a way that, when the core shaper is pivoted into the free space through the use of the carrier plate, the side walls of the latter engage in a form-locking manner around the lower side of the sharpener housing. As a result, the carrier plate is retained in a releasable, but captive, manner on the sharpener housing. The shell-like carrier plate thus serves, at the same time, as a shaving-collecting chamber for the shavings produced during the core-shaping operation.
In accordance with an added feature of the invention, it is possible to position a shaving-collecting container on the sharpener housing. The shaving-collecting container is expediently likewise in the form of a shell and has a peripheral side wall which, in turn, is adapted to the outer dimensions of the upper side of the sharpener housing in such a way that the shaving-collecting container, in turn, engages in a form-locking manner around the upper side of the sharpener housing. It is thus also possible, in principle, for the core shaper to be introduced, preferably once again pivoted, into the free space through the use of the shaving-collecting container, which in this case acts as a carrier plate, from the upper side of the housing.
In accordance with an additional feature of the invention, the carrier plate, which again preferably has a shell-like structure, is connected to the shaving-collecting container, likewise having a shell-like structure, through a film hinge. In this case, the film hinge is, in turn, integrally formed on the side walls, directed toward the core shaper, of the carrier plate, on one hand, and of the shaving-collecting container, on the other hand. This forms an integral shaving-collecting housing which is formed from two housing halves, into which the sharpener housing can be inserted by being positioned on the carrier plate and can be closed off on the upper side through the use of the shaving-collecting container. It is likewise possible first of all for the shell-like shaving-collecting container to be positioned on the upper side of the sharpener housing, with the result that the sharpener housing is retained in a captive manner thereon. Then, for the core-shaping operation, the carrier plate can be pivoted against the sharpener housing from the lower side of the same, and secured thereon, while the core shaper penetrates into the free space of the sharpener housing. In this case, the carrier plate closes off the lower side of the sharpener housing, which is open at the bottom, preferably to the full extent, but at least in the region of the free space.
A closed sharpener system is provided overall both with the sharpener constructed with the shaving-collecting container integrally formed pivotably on its sharpener body, and the carrier plate likewise integrally formed pivotably thereon, and with the two-shell housing structure formed by the shaving-collecting container and the preferably container-like carrier plate. This advantageously allows separate emptying of the shavings cut off through the use of the sharpener blade, on one hand, and of the comparatively sticky or tacky core shavings cut off or shaved off through the use of the core shaper, on the other hand. This occurs in such a way that the sharpener system is opened either on the upper side or on the lower side of the housing, while the respectively other side of the housing remains closed off. The respective shaving waste can thus be easily disposed of separately since it is not mixed with the other shaving waste during emptying and cleaning of the sharpener.
In accordance with yet another feature of the invention, the carrier plate and/or the shaving-collecting container is preferably formed of a transparent, i.e. translucent plastic. This means that, with the sharpener housing covered or closed on both sides through the use of the carrier plate, on one hand, and the shaving-collecting container, on the other hand, the filling level of the shavings can be seen from the outside. As a result, the shaving-collecting housing can be emptied before a build-up of shavings can occur in the region of the sharpener blade or of the core shaper.
In accordance with yet a further feature of the invention, the core shaper, which projects out of the carrier plate, is rounded on its rear side that is directed away from its shaving rib or edge so that a guide edge or retaining edge is formed, in such a way that, when the core shaper is pivoted into the free space, the carrier plate is positioned in a first position or clamping position. In this position, the carrier plate is already retained on the sharpener housing, while the core shaper is still inactive. In this position, the shaving rib or shaving edge of the core shaper is not yet in the active region of the sharpener channel, which is continued into the free space. If the carrier plate is then pivoted further in the direction of the sharpener blade and is joined in a captive manner to the sharpener housing, the core shaper is in its active end position. Upon rotation of a soft-core or cosmetics pencil introduced into the sharpener channel, the core tip of the pencil is then rounded as intended in that the core tip is guided along the shaving rib of the core shaper and is thus shaped by a shaving action.
In accordance with yet a concomitant feature of the invention, the core shaper itself is formed by a wedge-shaped shaving contour which is provided in a supporting protrusion or a supporting surface. The supporting surface is integrally formed on at least one supporting side, which projects out of the carrier plate in the direction of the sharpener blade, and runs transversely to the side. There are preferably provided two mutually opposite supporting sides, which are connected in a web-like manner to one another through the supporting surface.
Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a sharpener, in particular for soft-core pencils, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.
The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.